Abide in God's word, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:31-32). Sinful actions begin with sinful thoughts (Matthew 15:19). This same principle is understood in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Common errors in thinking
1. All or nothing:
When you give up on everything good because of a bad thing
2. Overgeneralizing:
When you think something will always be bad and never change
3. Mental filters:
When you only see one side of things, usually only the bad
4. Mind reading:
When you think you know for sure what others are thinking
5. Fortune telling:
When you think you know for sure what's going to happen
6. Magnification/Minimization:
When you think something is a big deal or not a big deal
7. Personalization:
When you blame yourself for something outside of your control
8. Emotional reasoning:
When you think feelings define how things really are
9. Mislabeling:
When you call yourself or others names because of something that was done
10. Discounting Positives:
When you see the good side, but think it doesn't count
If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character. [MYP 92]
Overcoming Stinking Thinking With Agape Love
Love rejoices in truth, it won't use emotional reasoning or faulty mental filtering, nor will it discount the positive. Love doesn't envy or give into self-seeking forms of all or nothing thinking. Love believes in all things, it doesn't "mind-read" or assume others think a certain way. Love hopes in all things, it doesn't "fortune tell" evil or overgeneralize that something or someone will always be a certain way. Love is kind, it doesn't resort to name calling or mislabeling. Love isn't puffed up, so it won't magnify or minimize things out of proportion. Love isn't easily provoked because it doesn't take anything personally.
Relevant quote
Charity “doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5). Christlike love places the most favorable construction on the motives and acts of others. It does not needlessly expose their faults; it does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but seeks rather to bring to mind the good qualities of others. [AA 319]
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